This Thursday 950+ athletes ready to take centre stage at Leicester-Shire & Rutland School Games Spring Championships!

Over 950 of our most talented young athletes and disabled athletes from across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland will take centre stage at Leicester-Shire & Rutland's biggest and most prestigious school sport event.

The secondary aged aspiring athletes, representing over 50 schools, will be representing our 10 School Sport & Physical Activity Networks (SSPANs), in 15 competitions across 8 sports.

The action-packed event will see the athletes show off their sporting talent and go head-to-head against the other Partnerships, all of which will have qualified from Level 2 area finals, to participate in this Level 3 County Final Championships.

The Leicester-Shire & Rutland School Games Spring Championships will be officially opened by local School Games Ambassadors Emily Scarratt (England Rugby player) and Sam Ruddock (2012 Paralympic Sprinter). The 'Opening Ceremony' will see a demonstration from Sporting Champion John Patrick Acquaviva (Freestyle Footballer) and a dance performance from Studio 79 from Regent College, winners of the recent 'Leicester-Shire & Rutland's GOT Talent' Competition.

John will be attending the event in his capacity as a Sport England Sporting Champions and is excited about interacting with the young people at the event.

"It will be absolutely brilliant to go to Loughborough University and watch some great sporting action at the Leicester-Shire and Rutland School Games. I have been lucky enough to travel and share my experiences as a freestyle footballer and I'm sure many of the very talented young people competing at this event can go on to do so too in their own sports. The School Games provides the perfect opportunity for the young athletes to go out there and inspire others. "

4 hours of competitive action will then follow in the 15 competitions across 8 sports, in the Sir David Wallace Sports Hall, Dan Maskell Tennis Centre, Netball/Badminton Centre, Swimming Pool and Loughborough College Sports Hall.

The Games will culminate in a 'Closing Ceremony' in which Sam Ruddock will be joined by another of our School Games Ambassadors, Matt Hampson (Ex-Leicester Tigers & England U21's Rugby), to present trophies and Gold Medals to the winners, Silver and Bronze Medals to 2^nd and 3^rd place and trophies to the 'Spirit of the Games' winners, from each competition. Charlotte Burnett, who is a GB Paracanoe athlete and local 'This Girl Can' Champion, will be introduced to the crowd to talk about the campaign.

The Leicester-Shire & Rutland School Games is part of the national 'Sainsbury's School Games' programme of competitive sport that is open to all young people in every school from across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. It is a celebration of competitive sport that involves young people aged 5-18 years, of all abilities and backgrounds.

The latest results and pictures from the Spring Championships will be updated throughout the day live on our Twitter @LR_Sport, using the #LRSchoolGames. For more information visit www.lrsport.org/schoolgames